Improved portable fire-wall



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LettersvPatei-tt No. 96,386, dated November 2, 1869. l

IMPROVE!) PORTABLE FIRE-WALL.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSHUA F. BISHOP, of Afton, in the county of Union,and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement inPortable Fire-Proof Walls; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference. being hadto the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a perspective view of two sections of a wall', constructedin accordance with my invention, and-'placed one upon the other,showing, also, the rods` which secure them together while in4 positionfor use;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section ou line x-x of iig. l;

Figure' 3 is an elevation of the support or stay,

4which may be used in connection with the wall; and` Figure 4 is atransverse section of` the same.

' Corresponding letters refer to corresponding parts in the severaliigures.

This invention relates yto fire-proof walls, for the protection offiremen and the persons who may be engaged in protecting buildings fromfire or in extinguishing those that are ou fire; and

It consists in fire-shields, or walls constructed in sections, so as tobe portable and easily removed from one locality to another, as will bemore fully explained hereinafter. v

A A', in the drawings, represent two sections of a shield or wall, ofwhich there may be any required number, placed one upon the other, toraise them to such nu altitude as to protectthe persons whomay be calledto work behind them.

They are to be constructed of sheet-metal, the sheets being placed atsome distance from each other, so as to leave an air-space between themof two or more inches, they being -held together by other sheets, whichare bent into .the form shown in iig. 2, and riv' eted to theside-sheets, in such a manner and at such points as to leave 'saidsheets projecting beyond them a distance sufficient to permit them to beinterlocked, as shown in fig. 1.

The curved connecting sheets, which are between the sheets A A', shouldhave perforations in them, so as to permit the escape of the air whichmay be between them when the same becomes heated, and also to 'allowcool air to enter and take the place of that which is expelled by theheat; and thus prevent the radiation of heat through the shield, orwall.' The di-a mensions are to be such, that two persons can, bygrasping the handles secured thereto, readily carry them, and place themin position, one upon the other.

B B represent the handles, which are to be riveted `-to one side of thesections, and at such points as to enable them to carry such sections tothe place where they are to be used.

C O represent ears, which are to be riveted to the same side ofwtheshields upon which the handles areV placed, they being bent outward at aright angle to s uch shields, and having, in their outwardly-proj ect-ing arms or portions, apertures or holes for the reception of the ends ofa bar or nut, which can turn freely therein, and

which has a screw-thread formed in the cent-re thereof,

portion which projects beyond the edge of the section' to which it isattached being provided with a set-screw, ora thumb-screw, which passesthrough it, and is to be used to press against the section which is tobe added, for the purpose of pressing the projecting flanges of thesections firmly together. l

E E represent bolts, or bars of iron, with screwthreads upon their ends,each one of which is toibe screwed into the nut, or bar a, they beingfor the purpose of securing the sections in position after they havebeen placed, as shown, in iig. l of the drawings.

F represents a nut, which is to be placed upon the bolt E, one end ofwhich enters such nut, after havingpassed through the nut, or bar abywhich means a continuous connection is formed between any number ofsections which it may be found necessary to place together.

In iigs. 3 and 4, I have shown an elevation and a section of au anchorwhich I propose to use in connection with my shields or walls. Thatportion of this anchor designated by G is intended to be driven into theground at some distance from the shield, while that portion marked G isto be oi' sufiicient length to extend up to, and be secured into thenut, or bar a, upon the upper section ot the shield, thus 'forming abrace, the angle of which will be sutiicient l to prevent the wall frombeing upset'or thrown down by the wind, or in consequence oi' any personor thing coming in contact therewith.

The operation of my shield is as follows:

flhe parts having been constructed as represented, they may be stored inany convenient place in any city or town, the buildings in which thelire-engines are kept being a suitable place, from which they may betaken upon the breaking out of a fire, and carried to any place where itis desired to protect rremen or other persons from the heat of theburning. lhe lower one of the tier being placed upon the ground, othersare to be placedY upon it, as herein described, and the whole securedtogether and stayed, to 'prevent them from being turned over.

It will be found that a wall erected of shields, as above described,-will be a great protect-ion to persons whose duty it is to operateengines on such occasions,

and also to persons who may be required to use buckets for the purposeof carrying water to be used in extinguishing the flames, as well as tobuildings npon the o'pposite sides of alleys and streets t-o those thatmay be on fire.

Having tlms described my invention,

What .l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A fire-shield, or wall, constructed with an airspace between thewalls or sheets thereof, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

2. The combination of the seetions'A, A', bolts or rods E, and bars I),for: securing the sections in position, substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. The arrangement of the nut or bar a with reference to the sections towhich they are secured, substentially as shown and described.

4. The arrangement of the anchor G G', with ref erence to the .shell AA', in such a. manner its to prevent itfrom being,r toppledover,substantially as shown and described. 4

In testimony whereof', I'hawe signed my ,name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

J. C. LUCAS, A. R. BOWEN.

JOSHUA F. BISHOP.

